Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World

Many are familiar with the story of the much-married King Henry VIII of England and the celebrated reign of his daughter, Elizabeth I. But it is often forgotten that the life of the first Tudor queen, Elizabeth of York, Henry's mother and Elizabeth's grandmother, spanned one of England' s most dramatic and perilous periods. Now New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir presents the first modern biography of this extraordinary woman.

Captive Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine

Renowned for her highly acclaimed and bestselling British histories, Alison Weir has in recent years made a major impact on the fiction scene with her novels about Queen Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey. In this latest offering, she imagines the world of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the beautiful twelfth-century woman who was queen of France until she abandoned her royal husband for the younger man who would become king of England.

Katherine Swynford

New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir is renowned around the world for her chronicles of Britain's royal families. Here she turns her focus to the enigmatic former mistress of John of Gaunt, Katherine Swynford, who would go on to marry her lover and become Queen of England. Through Weir's captivating prose, listeners are treated to a rousing profile of a dynamic historical figure.

The Children of Henry VIII

New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir is one of the most popular chroniclers of British and European royal history. In this fascinating book she sheds light on the scheming, backstabbing and brutality that plagued England after Henry VIII’s death. Filled with remarkable and sometimes shocking details, The Children of Henry VIII is an arresting narrative that brings the past to life and infuses it with all the flair of a riveting novel.

The Rival Queens: Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal That Ignited a Kingdom

Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for 30 years. Her youngest daughter, Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.

The Lost Tudor Princess: The Life of Lady Margaret Douglas

From New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir comes the first biography of Mary Douglas, the beautiful, cunning niece of Henry VIII of England who used her sharp intelligence and covert power to influence the succession after the death of Elizabeth I.

Mary Boleyn

Mary Boleyn was the mistress of two kings, Francois I of France and Henry VIII of England, and sister to Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife. In this astonishing and riveting biography, Alison Weir’s extensive research gives a new and detailed portrayal, in which she recounts that, contrary to popular belief, Mary was entirely undeserving of her posthumous notoriety as a great whore.

Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen: A Novel

A princess of Spain, Catalina is only 16 years old when she sets foot on the shores of England. The youngest daughter of the powerful monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, Catalina is a coveted prize for a royal marriage - and Arthur, Prince of Wales and heir to the English throne, has won her hand. But tragedy strikes, and Catalina, now Princess Katherine, is betrothed to the future Henry VIII.

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn

New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir tells the spellbinding tale of the last days of Henry VIII’s second wife. Accused of adultery, incest, and treason, Anne Boleyn is locked in the Tower of London on May 2, 1536. Despite maintaining her innocence, she’s quickly condemned to death. Soon, one sword stroke sends her into eternity. But as her remains rot in the sun—unblessed by coffin, marker, or funeral—few know the truth behind her swift demise.

A Dangerous Inheritance

Historian and New York Times best-selling author Alison Weir is acclaimed for her absorbing works about the infamous House of York and House of Tudor lines. In A Dangerous Inheritance, Weir uses her wealth of knowledge to craft a compelling novel about two women, living 70 years apart, who are linked through the mysterious disappearance of King Richard III's nephews, Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury - also known as the Princes in the Tower.

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

This acclaimed best seller from popular historian Alison Weir is a fascinating look at the Tudor family dynasty and its most infamous ruler. The Six Wives of Henry VIII brings to life England’s oft-married monarch and the six wildly different but equally fascinating women who married him. Gripping from the first sentence to the last and loaded with fascinating details, Weir’s rich history is a perfect blend of scholarship and entertainment.

The Autumn Throne

England, 1176. Imprisoned by her husband, King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen of England, refuses to let her powerful husband bully her into submission, even as he forces her away from her children and her birthright. Freed only by Henry's death, Eleanor becomes dowager Queen of England. But the competition for land and power that Henry stirred up among his sons has intensified to a dangerous rivalry.

Innocent Traitor: A Novel of Lady Jane Grey

The child of a scheming father and ruthless mother, Lady Jane Grey is born during a time when ambition dictates action. Cousin to Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, she is merely a pawn in a political and religious game in which one false step means a certain demise. But Lady Jane has remarkable qualities that help her to withstand the constant pressures of the royal machinery far better than most expect.

The Life of Elizabeth I

The New York Times best-selling author of The Six Wives of Henry VIII and The War of the Roses, historian Alison Weir crafts fascinating portraits of England’s infamous House of Tudor line. Here Weir focuses on Elizabeth I, also known as the Virgin Queen, who ascended to the throne at age 25 and never married, yet ruled for 44 years and steered England into its Golden Age.

The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia

Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias fascinated and terrorized 15th-century Renaissance Italy, and Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty's ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?

A Great and Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain

Edward I is familiar to millions as "Longshanks", conqueror of Scotland and nemesis of Sir William Wallace (in Braveheart). Yet this story forms only the final chapter of the king's action-packed life. Earlier, Edward had defeated and killed the famous Simon de Montfort, traveled to the Holy Land, and conquered Wales. He raised the greatest armies of the Middle Ages and summoned the largest parliaments. Notoriously, he expelled all the Jews from his kingdom.

The Lady Elizabeth: A Novel

Best-selling author Alison Weir turns her masterly storytelling skills to the early life of young Elizabeth Tudor, who would grow up to become England's most intriguing and powerful queen. Sweeping in scope, The Lady Elizabeth is a fascinating portrayal of a woman far ahead of her time - whose dangerous and dramatic path to the throne shapes her future greatness.

The Private Lives of the Tudors: Uncovering the Secrets of Britain's Greatest Dynasty

The Tudor monarchs were constantly surrounded by an army of attendants, courtiers and ministers. Even in their most private moments, they were accompanied by a servant specifically appointed for the task. A groom of the stool would stand patiently by as Henry VIII performed his daily purges, and when Elizabeth I retired for the evening, one of her female servants would sleep at the end of her bed. These attendants knew the truth behind the glamorous exterior.

Isabella: The Warrior Queen

Whether saintly or satanic, no female leader has done more to shape our modern world, in which millions of people in two hemispheres speak Spanish and practice Catholicism. Yet history has all but forgotten Isabella's influence, due to hundreds of years of misreporting that often attributed her accomplishments to Ferdinand, the bold and philandering husband she adored.

Three Sisters, Three Queens

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author behind the upcoming Starz original series The White Princess, a gripping new Tudor story featuring King Henry VIII's sisters Mary and Margaret, along with Katherine of Aragon, vividly revealing the pivotal roles the three queens played in Henry VIII's kingdom.

The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England

The first Plantagenet king inherited a blood-soaked kingdom from the Normans and transformed it into an empire that stretched at its peak from Scotland to Jerusalem. In this epic history, Dan Jones vividly resurrects this fierce and seductive royal dynasty and its mythic world. We meet the captivating Eleanor of Aquitaine, twice queen and the most famous woman in Christendom; her son, Richard the Lionheart, who fought Saladin in the Third Crusade; and King John, a tyrant who was forced to sign Magna Carta, which formed the basis of our own Bill of Rights.

The Wars of the Roses: The Fall of the Plantagenets and the Rise of the Tudors

The 15th century saw the longest and bloodiest series of civil wars in British history. The crown of England changed hands five times as two branches of the Plantagenet dynasty fought to the death for the right to rule. Now, celebrated historian Dan Jones describes how the longest reigning British royal family tore itself apart until it was finally replaced by the Tudors. Some of the greatest heroes and villains in history were thrown together in these turbulent times.

The Women of the Cousins' War: The Duchess, the Queen and the King's Mother

In her essay on Jacquetta, Philippa Gregory uses original documents, archaeology and histories of myth and witchcraft to create the first-ever biography of the young duchess who was to survive two reigns and two wars to become the first lady at two rival courts. David Baldwin, established author on the Wars of the Roses, tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the first commoner to marry a king of England for love, and Michael Jones, fellow of the Royal Historical Society, writes of Margaret Beaufort, the almost-unknown matriarch of the House of Tudor. The Women of the Cousins’ War will appeal to all.

Tudor: Passion. Manipulation. Murder. The Story of England's Most Notorious Royal Family

The Tudors are England's most notorious royal family. But, as Leanda de Lisle's gripping new history reveals, they are a family still more extraordinary than the one we thought we knew. The Tudor canon typically starts with the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 before speeding on to Henry VIII and the Reformation. But this leaves out the family's obscure Welsh origins and the ordinary man known as Owen Tudor who would fall (literally) into a queen's lap - and later her bed.

Publisher's Summary

Popular historian Alison Weir has crafted best-selling biographies of such prominent icons as King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. A master at uncovering fascinating and little-known details, Weir brings these historical figures to life with a brilliant blend of entertainment and scholarship. No English queen has drawn more ire than the vilified Queen Isabella. Weir, at long last, delivers the definitive biography of one of the most controversial members of English royalty.

Anyone with an interest in discovering the many facets of the truth behind some of English history's most notorious events will be riveted by this straightforward account that presents the facts as recorded and puts them into context of the myths that have survived.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Queen Isabella?

Too many to mention.

What does Lisette Lecat bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

One of the finest readers I have ever heard.

Any additional comments?

If you even think you might like medieval history, don't miss this; the entire age in presented in a way that fills you with actual documented facts that are more amazing than historical fiction.

I've always been interested in the Plantagenets, and Edward II is always one of the more colorful individuals. I was excited to find an audiobook that's more specific to this rule. Sadly, while this book is full of good information and paints a vivid picture of the circumstances Isabella found her self in regards to her relationship to her husband and his favorites, the author constantly inserts her opinions and hypotheticals, and then presents them as facts. The whole book is filled with 'probably', 'must have felt', 'perhaps', and 'possibly's, with only the author's vision inserted, and very few other views represented.

It wasn't too bad for the first two thirds of the book, but then after Edward's overthrow and death, the author started grasping at any straw possible to preserve her opinions, to the point often it seemed like she was grasping at straws. At her husband's death, the author wouldn't even consider the possibility that Isabella was involved in any way, and wouldn't even consider that the queen even knew of it. Then she goes off on how the king wasn't murdered, but actually alive, and bases this on a single letter which basically amounts to an Elvis sighting. This letter has several errors, including dates and names, but the author just waves them off as the letter writer 'being confused', and then states that there's absolutely no reason this letter should be discounted. Amusingly, this letter implicates the queen as trying to kill the king, but the author counters this by saying that there's no way the letter writer could've known that innocent Isabella was far away in another castle and didn't even know about the attempts on his life! From then on, the author presents this theory that Edward was still alive and living as a hermit as fact throughout the rest of the book, ignoring all evidence to the contrary. Nevermind the fact that hundreds of people viewed the body, (the author explains that away by saying they 'probably embalmed and wrapped the body' and that the people that viewed him weren't people that were close to him. Or the fact that the body used instead was a random servant who had been killed in the king's escape. The King was an unusually tall man for the age, what are the odds that a randomly killed servant had the same body build as him?

Anyways, all things considered, the author of this book for the most part has done excellent research, and there is a lot of good information in the book, which makes is sad that there's so much fluff and personal opinion filling up the pages.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Sadly, the author does do some disservice to the queen in my opinion. Though she tried to paint her in a feminist view, she turns her into an innocent, doe-eyed queen who only got a bad rep because of the 'evil men' dominating her life, instead of the master of court intrigue that she surely was.

What about Lisette Lecat’s performance did you like?

The narration was very decent, with Lisette keeping it interesting. The only slight complaint I have is the constant small pauses in narration with each punctuation mark, but it's easily overlooked.

What made the experience of listening to Queen Isabella the most enjoyable?

Lisette Lecat is a wonderful reader with a lovely voice and perfect diction, in French [this is rare!] no less than in English. I returned to the audible website with the intention of buying whatever other book she might have recorded and was disappointed not to find any within my range of interest. She is the only reader to so rouse my enthusiasm. I am incapable of imagining a better one.

Which scene was your favorite?

I was particularly struck by Queen Isabella losing her immense popularly because she made peace with Scotland rather than committing resources and lives to continuing a war that was hard if not impossible to win.

I was also amazed at how the canny Mortimer, abetted by Isabella, so quickly slid into the same kind of arrogance and rapaciousness that had brought about the Despensers' and Edward II's downfall.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I doubt if anybody would want to listen to 21 hours in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

This book filled in some important gaps in my knowledge and understanding of 14th century history and quite held my interest throughout. It made me realize yet again how much one needs to go into the details to build up a sense of history.

Like the other books I've listened to written by Ms. Weir, this was yet another example of excellent research matched with interesting bits of information about the time and culture in which she narrates the character's life. Wonderful listening.

This was a good book, written from a modern woman's point of view, and presumably countering some of the stories that have grown up around Queen Isabella. As always, Ms. Weir paints a picture of the times and people. I wish there were more extant writings to fill in some of the blanks spots.

Would you try another book written by Alison Weir or narrated by Lisette Lecat?

I love both the author and the narrator, however this book wasn't for me. If i have trouble sleeping, the subject matter and the gentle tones of Lisette Lecat help me on my way to slumberland.

What could Alison Weir have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

To be perfectly honest, It can't be improved upon, it's just dry.

What didn’t you like about Lisette Lecat’s performance?

Oh lissette did an excellent job.

Was Queen Isabella worth the listening time?

If you love the subject matter yes, if you want excitement no.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

phantom lover

uk

12/23/12

Overall

"a good book but very boring narrator"

I'm a real history boff and was really looking forward to listening to this but was very disappointed.the content is good but the narrators voice just seemed to drone on and I actually fell asleep a couple of times!

3 of 5 people found this review helpful

Beverley Poskitt

8/14/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"A cure for Insomnia"

What would have made Queen Isabella better?

A better narrator, this narrator put me to sleep listening to her slow speech.

What could Alison Weir have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Written it as a more exciting drama. Less description , More story.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

She was slow, had no interest in her voice and flat tone.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Dissapointment, was looking for more of a story. This was like a shopping list

Any additional comments?

Yes . Would definitely like to return this book. After listening for about an hour I was Bored.Waste of a credit.

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

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